Symantec wins $3 million lawsuit

Symantec Corp., the world's biggest maker of anti-virus and anti-spam software, has won a $3 million legal judgment against a company that sent unsolicited e-mail selling counterfeit Symantec programs.

Symantec filed suit against Baltimore-based Maryland Internet Marketing in April, claiming it advertised unauthorized copies of programs including Norton SystemWorks, Norton AntiVirus and pcAnywhere via spam messages. Maryland Internet and its president, George Moore, must halt the sales and pay Symantec, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson in Los Angeles ruled.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, last week sued three companies and four individuals, accusing them of deceptive business practices in transmitting spam. Spitzer said he intends to drive spammers "into bankruptcy."